Colorado Rockies / MLB

Rockies' Todd Helton says he's encouraged after hip surgery

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip last Friday, ending his 2012 season. Recovery time is projected to be about six months, which would enable him to participate in spring training. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images file)

For a guy who underwent four hours of arthroscopic hip surgery only six days ago, Todd Helton is doing OK.

"It's kind of what I expected, and I thinking choosing surgery was the lesser of two evils," the Rockies' veteran first baseman told The Denver Post Thursday afternoon. "Actually, the rehab is going a little quicker than we first anticipated, so that's encouraging."

Helton had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip last Friday, ending his 2012 season. Recovery time is projected to be about six months, which would enable him to participate in spring training. Does he think he'll be ready for baseball at that point?

"I'm not looking that far ahead right now," said Helton, who turns 39 on Monday. Helton has said he hopes to return next season and finish out the final year of his contract.

Helton will be on crutches for another three weeks, and he's spending seven to eight hours a day hooked up to a passive motion machine. Is he going stir crazy yet?

"I'm getting close," he said.

According to Rockies trainer Keith Dugger, Helton's operation was successful.

"The good news is that there were no signs of arthritis or a need to do microfracture (surgery) or anything like that," Dugger said.

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The sore hip had bothered Helton since early June during a road trip to Arizona. It hindered his ability to lift his right leg at the plate, throwing off his timing. Helton, a five-time all-star and three-time Gold Glove winner, also had struggled moving to his right on groundballs hit between first and second.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, a hip labral tear involves the ring of soft elastic tissue, called the labrum, that follows the outside rim of the socket of the hip joint. The labrum acts like a socket to hold the ball at the top of the thighbone (femur) in place.

Symptoms typically included hip pain and a "catching sensation" when sudden movements are made.

During arthroscopic surgery, loose fragments from within the joint are removed and the hip labral tear is trimmed or repaired.

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